Hell
by Nanomemes
Summary: Kyo Clone Adventures. [Complete]
1. Alone

_Man is born crying._

 _When he's cried enough, he dies._

 _\- Ran (Akira Kurosawa)_

* * *

Cacophony echoes off the walls. It travels down the metallic corridors. I can hear the noises clearly.

Booming. Crackling. Explosions.

Gunshots. Missiles. Mines.

And screaming.

Lots of screaming.

The soldiers are screaming. I recognize their voices. There are some women screaming as well. Some of the scientists were women. I can't pinpoint which scientist it is though. I'm not too familiar with them. They don't speak to us much. They're always behind bulletproof glass.

But a very familiar sound echoes from down the halls.

It's my screaming.

But which me?

I can't be 15… right? _Right?_

He said he'd be back. He said he was going to distract the red-haired man, and that I needed to wait in this locker because my kneecap got dislocated. I already snapped it back in place. It's kind of swollen, but I can probably move just fine. I really want to go look for him.

Surely… surely he doesn't need help right? I mean, he's really good at fighting. He always beats me, and he's really smart too. The red-haired man can't be better than he is… no. Definitely not. 15's gonna come back, then we're gonna escape together. All seventeen of us. That's what he promised. I'll just have to trust him.

There's so much screaming outside...

 _It's not gonna be all 17..._

* * *

The screaming has faded. It's only coming from really far away now. The red-haired man is still alive and he's deep in the bowels of the facility. What happened to 15? I'm going to go find him.

I open the locker door and carefully listen for anybody nearby. There's no noise. It's quiet. Did 15 get lost or something?... no. He's never gotten lost before. Where could he be? The closet he shoved me into is really dark. I step out of the locker and grope for the door. My feet make squelching noises with every step I take. I reach for a doorknob. When I find it, it's covered with something warm and sticky. I freeze before turning the handle and sniff the air. _Iron._

It's blood.

The door opens with a creak. Fluorescent white light floods into my field of vision.

Then red fills my vision.

There's red everywhere. Thick, sticky, oozing red. Who's…

Mine.

My blood.

Look, there's 3. He was the punk. He always had a practical joke or a funny prank to play. He was the fun one. We all liked to hang out with him, but only a little. If you stay with him too long, you'll find a raw fish in your underpants or something… we sort of had to take shifts. _Heh._ Good thing there were 100 of us… no… 16…

That doesn't matter anymore… He's dead. He'll never make anyone laugh again. There's a gash in his throat. Is trachea had been sliced cleanly through. He's staring at me with cold eyes. His blood stains the wall behind him.

 _Three… he's gone…_

I was 6. Now I'm number 5.

Look… it's 10. The snarky one. He does his hair too much. Pissed everyone off because he was such a diva… well we weren't _really_ pissed off. Just a little. He was an okay guy… his head is hanging off his neck. I can see his vertebrae poking out. It's horrible. Horrible. Did the red-haired man do this? I can't believe it. _How could he! Even to 10!_

My vision is getting a little hazy. I don't know what to think anymore. I'm feeling sick. The light is too bright. I'm getting dizzy. I stumble down the hall and round a corner.

 _Maybe this is just a nightmare… Please just be a nightmare._

Is that 7 and 2? No No! They died together! 2's arms are holding 7 around the waist. But his head has fallen off. It's on the floor next to where they're sitting. Those two were always best friends… just like me and 15. Where is he?! Why hasn't he come back yet? I need to find him.

* * *

"Six… how many..."

Somebody's crying. I hear the sound of someone wailing. Raspy breaths. Despair. Who's crying? What's wrong? What is it?

"Shh…shh… just tell me… who's left?"

I open my eyes and look down. I'm holding myself in my arms - well, he looks just like me. All 100 of us looked the same. But now… now there's only two. Just me and 15… and soon, it'll just be me. I'll be all alone.

I don't want to be alone.

I hug him tightly and rest my cheek against his forehead. His skin is clammy and feverishly hot. He grips my arm weakly - the strength had all but drained from his hands. His breathing is getting slower. His eyes are glazing over. I'm not watching, but I've seen myself die many, many times. I know exactly how it happens. I know what it looks like. I'm…

I'm the one crying.

I sob into his hair. My face is all wet. There's so much liquid in my eyes that I can hardly see. The guys would definitely call me a crybaby for this. I wish they would… I'd gladly be teased for the rest of my life if only they were alive. _If only the red-haired man…_

"Six?... getta hold…of yourself… where's my leg-... oh… oh shit… "

He's already lost too much blood. The moment I saw him, I knew. The red-haired man had snipped his leg off at the knee. There was nothing to be done. I bandaged it but I didn't cauterize. I don't want 15 to suffer any more than he needs to… oh… but I wish he would stay with me.

Please stay with me… Don't go.

"Six… am I dead?"

15? Die? Impossible. He was the best of us. He was the strongest. He was the fastest. He was a little mischievous, but he was a leader. He cared about us. After we went through another one of the scientists jacked up experiments, even if he was all torn up, he would still go around and try to encourage us. We needed him. Without him, we would have fallen apart a long time ago.

"Six."

He's my best friend. He's my brother. He's me. Ever since we were born, we've been together. He went about doing crazy stuff. I held him back and begged him not to be so daring. He staged a prison break every three weeks. I tended his wounds afterwards. He was a dreamer. He talked big. He said we were gonna get out of here. We were gonna experience the world outside.

"Six… it's cold."

I kissed his forehead. I wonder if he can feel it. I wonder if he's still thinking. He's limp in my arms. His voice is barely audible. So soft that I need to strain my ears to catch his words. I don't know what to say to him. There's nothing to be said. There are no words of encouragement to be offered. There is nothing left. Everyone is gone. Everyone is slain.

"It's dark... I'm... "

The red-haired man. He killed us. He violently ended out miserable lives.

Since the day of our birth, we've suffered brutally at NESTS' hands. Experiment, tests, procedures... it didn't matter what they called it. It was torture. Sometimes, we wouldn't survive the procedures. Each time the scientists thought of something new, sometimes only 10 of us would die. Sometimes twenty. I've seen myself drowned, bisected, dissolved, burned. The sound of my own screaming is the most familiar sound in the world. We suffered without a moment of respite. Now we die brutally by the red-haired man.

"... Six? say... say something."

I hold him closer. What is there to say? Where were our good memories? The moments we should be able to look back on and smile and feel like our lives were complete? There was nothing. Nothing. The only moments of warmth we had were from comforting each other after another torture session. I can't speak. My words are chopped by my sobbing. I don't even try to stop it. Nobody's around to judge me anyways.

"... it's ... too cruel... This world is too cruel for us. I'm sorry... I'm sorry."

I don't know if he heard me.

His grip on my arm slackens, then releases.

His hand falls the the floor with the soft thump.

I crouch there on the facility floor.

I hold on to his cold body.

And I cry.

There's nothing to do but cry.

* * *

 _Iori Yagami storms the Brazilian Nests base to rescue his abusive boyfriend._

 _Kyo clones are less than happy._

 _They're actually really unhappy._

 _T^T_


	2. Mad World

I ran.

I ran because my life depended on it.

I ran until my lungs burned and my bones ached, then I kept running.

Because the Facility fell into the sea.

Everyone is dead.

If the red-haired man didn't get them, then the explosion did. If I had tarried just a bit longer I would have met the same fiery fate and sunk into the depths. Everything I've ever known. My family, my brothers. My very flesh and blood. Sunken and drowned. Never to be seen again. My whole life has been buried.

I haven't even emptied my tears. I didn't even get a chance to mourn. But there's no time. I need to tend my wounds. I escaped the worst of it but there's a bullet lodged in my calf. It missed the tibial artery and the pain is tolerable, but I need to sterilize it and sear it shut before I go anywhere. I'm alone, so I can't risk infection… _lead doesn't rust, right? It didn't hit the artery so it's in low oxygen… better leave it in for now._

I always played medical for everyone. Usually the facility staff took care of the major stuff, but I guess they didn't have time to treat our smaller wounds. I have steady hands and don't mind blood too much, so everyone came to me with their cuts and bruises. I got really good at patching 'me' up. I know my insides like the back of my hand.

I know just how much damage I can take before I die. I'm hardly fragile. This body can take a lot. The only reason any of us succumbed to the procedures was because their spirits faltered.

It's a miracle someone like me survived all that. I don't have many hopes. All my dreams are nightmares. I look at the world around me and see the worst in it. I really am a bit of a downer.

And the weak-hearted all died first. The brave, those who decided they wouldn't die no matter what … they deserve to live. They screamed, they kicked, they fought tooth and nail. They did everything they could to survive. I just clung to their brave spirits. Did I drag them down? Has my complacency dampened their spirits? Has my leeching killed my brothers?

...

Did they hate me for it?

… _probably._

* * *

I'm standing on a shelf of rock. The texture is like nothing I've ever seen before. It's rough and grey, but if I look closely enough I can see tiny crystals in the stone. The sun shines down on them and they blink in the light.

It's so bright here.

There are flying creatures... birds. _Yeah, birds._ They soar through the sky and call to each other. They all look the same. They all sound the same. They're countless in number. They're just like me.

 _Except I'm all alone._

Below the facility sinks into the dark tumultuous sea. I watch it as it descends out of my sight. I used to be like the _birds._ I had my brothers. I had a hundred of them. But now they're gone. I'll never see them again. I miss them so much.

The salty wind blows. The sun shines down. The waves lap against the cliff face.

I sit down and bury my face in my hands.

* * *

It's gone now.

It's sunk out of sight.

The sea swallowed it. It's as if the Facility were never built.

As if my brethren had never existed.

 _I miss it..._

Life at the facility was difficult, but... at least we had each other. While we were there, we always tried to stay optimistic, since all of us are naturally inclined toward that anyways… _well except for me I guess._

We spent a lot of time tricking each other. Imagining things to encourage each other. Playing dumb pranks. Spinning tales. Arguing over petty things. Trying to keep our minds away from our aches and pains. 15… he was the best at that. He claimed he got ahold of one of the scientists cell phones and learned about the world. Nobody believed he actually did, but nobody spoke up. We needed some distraction from the hell we were living.

He talked about a vast blue sky. Stars that shone out there like diamonds. The sun which, every day, would dye the horizon with the colours of fire. The fire in the sky would reflect off a giant body of saline solution and cast everything in orange and pink…

We _knew_ it was nonsense. But we believed it. It filled us with wonder and hope. We longed to see that fiery sky. To see the diamonds in the heavens. We formed elaborate plans. We sang elaborate songs. We talked about what we would do once they ' _let us out'._

They were never gonna let us out.

We all knew it, but nobody spoke up. We wanted to enjoy the spell while it lasted, because reality was always close at hand. Soon the scientists would find something else to do and ten more of us would lay dead at our feet. Eyes glazed, teeth clenched. We all died the same way.

The living would solemnly watch the dead get rolled out on gurneys. We never cried in front of the scientists. We did our best not to. The last round got eight of us. They were doing some drug test. They filled our veins with burning acid. It hurt like nothing ever hurt before. My throat still feels raw.

Ugh.

I'll end up depressed if I keep thinking about this. I still feel a bit hazy, like nothing is real. I hope it isn't… but the pain in my leg tells me it just might be.

Best not to dwell on it.

* * *

I scramble up the rock face.

The rough surface is making the tips of my fingers bleed.

I ignore the pain. I've tolerated much worse. This is nothing.

That's what 15 would be saying right now. Yeah...

 _Ugh._

I need to focus. I can mourn later. I need to sit down and plan. That's what 15 would be doing, right?... wait… _he was the last to die. He's not 15 anymore… he's 2 and now I'm 1… does it even matter anymore? Gah… Whatever. Stop thinking about him. Don't be a baby._

I'm no dreamer. I don't scheme. I don't imagine. Not like 15, or 3… even 10 and 7… they were all dreamers. Optimists. Hopefuls. That's how they've sustained themselves. Food and water isn't enough to feed a person. Man needs hope. He cannot prosper in despair. My hopes were the hopes of my brothers. They fed me their dreams. They inspired me. I clung to the paradise they longed for.

All my life I've been a follower. I followed the Facility staff. I followed my brothers. I usually tailed 15. Some of us were really headstrong and always wanted to do stuff their own way. I didn't mind taking the backseat. I was the pragmatist, and that usually meant I was the pessimist. Even when 15 was around with his infectious happy-go-lucky attitude it still took a lot to cheer me up.

Now that I'm alone…

 _heh… funny, isn't it?_

The world is upside down… or maybe it's always been like this. The guys. They said things worked differently outside. It was a beautiful place, they said, where good things happened to good people. Where evil was repaid in justice. It was a place that rewarded guts and valour and evil would die in shame.

I believed them.

But here I stand. The sole survivor, bereft of everything. The good and the evil alike were sunken into the sea. There was no distinction between them. No justice that divided the brave and the wicked. The scientist that grinned at me when he put the acid in my veins… he died the same way 15 did. Cut in half by the red-haired man. Now they're laying side by side on the sea floor.

 _The red-haired man. Him! He caused this! Why is he here! Why did he come. What have we done to him?... ugh…_

Has fate always held dreams in contempt? Does the world relish playing cruel jokes? Is it watching from above? Laughing as we suffer? Is destiny so bored he must crush us like ants?! _Is it so much fun to see us weep?_

If not, why am I here? Why am I the survivor? Me, the most unworthy of all. The leech, the follower, the downer, the parasite. I stand here on this cliff as everyone I love sinks to the bottom of the sea.

Cruel.

 _The brave dreamers die. The ungrateful coward lives._

I fill my head with hate.

* * *

 _Kyo only spent 6 mo. in NEST facility._

 _These guys are literally 4-5 mo old._

 _6 needs a hug. poor baby._

 _Ya'lls thought 'Polish' was cute and heartwarming?_

 _yeah._

 _I'm off to go strangle Yag._


	3. Fate

F

* * *

I stayed there a long while, watching the dark waves lap against the granite cliffs.

The sound of the waves is soothing and the wind is calm and gentle. It helps to calm me down. How strange I am, to take comfort in the sounds of this cruel world. I considered putting more effort into hating it, but concluded it wouldn't help anyone.

The cries of the birds and the rustling of the lush green forest take my mind off my brothers. I really feel incomplete without them. Ever since I was born, I was never left alone.

I admit, it got annoying sometimes. There were times I wished all of them would stop pestering me and just disappear. There really was never a moment of silence with the guys. We were all pretty rambunctious. Stories. Pranks. Someone got their eyebrows shaved off, 3's fault probably. Someone found bullion cubes in the shower head, 3 again. Someone took a dump in the sink… _3 was so awful… ugh._

I miss him.

I miss all of them…

We were never cruel to each other. We were all a little different, but in general we were the same. Even when I met a 'me' I had never seen before, I already knew him. And he already knew me. We were one big… no, not family. We were more than that. _Closer. One body. One person._

No man hates his own life. Nobody behaves cruelly towards himself. How true this was among us. We guarded each other jealously. Our bonds were closer than blood. When one member hurt, we suffered alongside him. When one member rejoiced… _well. I don't think we ever did that._

We loved each other.

We hated everyone else.

Who could blame us? How could we ever trust anyone else. Everyone who wore a different face tortured us. They looked at us with cold, unfeeling stares. Like we were objects, commodities… _no, lower than that._

To them, we were merely expendable husks.

And they expended us.

They slowly chipped away at our body. Ten at a time. Sometimes twenty. They'd roll our cold bodies out on gurneys. A hundred became eighty-five. Eighty-five became Seventy…

 _Ah._

If I keep crying, I'll get dehydrated.

* * *

It took awhile for the bleeding in my leg to stop. I sat there on the ledge for half an hour just holding it. If it hit the artery I would've just laid down and died, but I got lucky. Bullet seems small too. _Who's out there shooting 9mm handguns in the middle of an exploding base?_

Well, it still bled a lot. It wasn't gushing but the wound is deep and it's super uncomfortable. I had to use my shirt to put pressure on it. Now _that's_ all bloody and I'm considering burning it. Wait. What if I need it later, though? Where will I get another one? _Best to hang on to it, even if it's gross._

The sun is moving across the sky. I didn't know it did that. At first, I thought I was imagining things, but as the shadows kept moving I realized the sun was slowly approaching the sea. It's still a good ways from the horizon though. I feel it's warm rays on my bare skin as I stand up and start down the cliff side path. It's more comfortable to limp, but I can run if I need to.

I swing my bloody shirt up over my shoulder.

It slaps me in the back and it _hurts!_

I was really shocked by the pain. I twist my neck as far as it can go and try to look past my shoulder. I'm all pink! It must have been the sun. Since when could such a mild heat can burn!?

My yelp scared some birds that had settled in the rocks nearby. They squawk unhappily at me before taking wing. Such an attitude they've got. Is it unreasonable make noise when you're in pain? All of you have been calling non-stop for the past hour anyways and I didn't complain one bit.

 _Bratty things..._

I sigh and take warm air into my lungs. The moist breeze is so different from the weird smelling air in the Facility. The sun is bright and white and warm, not like the cold fluorescent tubes I'm used to. Well. The tubes never burned me before, but for some reason I like the sun much, much better. I can't help enjoying it's warmth on my eyelids. I wonder if those will burn as well?

 _I guess it's worth it._

This is the paradise the guys were talking about. This is all they ever wanted. It's exactly like 15 said it would be. The sun, the vast sea. The blue sky. The green trees… Soon, the sun will dip into the water and the sky will light up with the colours of fire. Then, there will be diamonds in the sky.

How glorious.

My entire life I've seen only grey walls. This place is an assault on the senses. It's like heaven.

But, I can't enjoy it.

What is paradise? Am I to be alone here? Just me? The sole, unworthy survivor of the red-haired man's onslaught? All my brethren languish at the bottom of the saline sea.

All of 'me' should be here to see this. 15 especially. He worked the hardest. He hoped and prayed and begged the fates, but cold destiny scorned him. It scorned my precious friend. _How dare you! How dare you._

This world is wicked.

Why did it send the red-haired man to the facility? Surely he wasn't there to kill my brothers. We were simply _in the way_. Mere casualties of cruel fate. Did they die a meaningless death?... Did we live meaningful lives?

No.

I don't care about meaning.

They meant everything to me, and that's all that matters. Why do I care if world, which dealt so mercilessly with us, finds our lives valuable? Have we not been injured enough? Surely we are allowed to bear righteous anger. To seek recompense for our suffering.

 _Ah, I forgot._

There is no righteousness in this world.

Neither justice nor mercy.

Here, the innocent are crushed with the guilty. They rot together on the seafloor.

* * *

What should I do?

Rage against fate? I cannot. It will crush me under it's heel.

Smile and bend and go where it carries me? _Never!_

Where can I find goodness? Where can I rest? There's nowhere I can go. There is no hope to be found. There's not a shred of kindness lett in this world. I have no more kindness to give. The red-haired man has torn everything from me. He stole what little I had.

Then he slaughtered them and left them on the ground like refuse.

Like garbage.

 _Oh_.

But to me, they are more precious than this world. I'd give the Earth a thousand times for their sake.

For there is only one person whom I can trust unconditionally. Only one person I could ever love selflessly. The only one who I've ever shown kindness towards, and only one who has ever shown kindness to me.

Oh, how I long to see ' _me_ ' again.

Even just one.

I'd cling to him.

I'd cry tears of joy.

I'd never let him go.

* * *

 _six needs a hug from OG kyo_

 _Recall that the world of KOF essentially has an evil god - Orochi. Six complaining about fate isn't nesceesarily unreasonable._

 _6\. Babe. Pull through ok?_

 _Press F to pay respects to sunburn boi_


	4. Savior

D:

* * *

I found him.

The red-haired man.

I found him sitting in the shade of a large boulder. He was slumped against it, staring out over the ocean with listless fish eyes. His chin was dipped into his chest and his brow cast dark shadows over his eyes. He looked like a spectre in the bright orange light from the setting sun. Everything on the cliffside was either black or the colour of molten iron.

It looked like he had collapsed on the seaside path and dragged himself up against the rock. His form looked frail against the stone, cast in sharp relief by blazing light and dark shadows. His hair was long and red and was matted against his face. He didn't seem to mind it obscured his vision. His features were angular, gaunt and exhausted. I could hear his ragged breathing from where I stood. A portion of his shirt had been burnt away at the center. His chest, over his heart, was charred and blackened - but not by fire. The wound looked angry, violent and immensely painful.

When I first laid eyes on him, I felt nothing. My head was numb and blank. I stood there, stunned, about ten meters away. I didn't move. Neither did he. He didn't even notice me. He showed no reaction to my presence. He was too torn up.

I slowly walk toward him.

Something in my blood burns, but I'm cold.

There's no anger in me. Not fear, not even that sadness which had all but consumed me since the red-haired man broke into the facility and crushed everything I've ever known. He stole everything - both good and bad. That crumpled form on the rock… He's my greatest adversary. He's committed measureless evil against me. The emotions begin to stir.

But not the ones I want. I want anger! I want Rage! Burning, seething righteous anger! No. My spirit betrays me. It shakes. It sobs. It thinks of my slain and mourns them.

I rein in my heart. I put it on ice. I angrily rub my eyes and fight desperately to keep the dreadful loneliness away.

It follows me like a shadow. It looms over me and threatens to eat me alive. I must persevere. How can I persevere? _How? Without them? Every day? On and on and on?_

Can I handle that? Can I cope alone here, in this cruel, cruel world? _How?!_

Surely it's better to be a machine. I'll kill my spirit, murder my soul. Walk the earth like a ghost devoid of every emotion. Feeling nothing is better than the horrid burning deep in my heart. The feeling of loss, the sensation of shattered hopes… It's the worse kind of torture.

I'd rather be dead.

What is paradise without those whom I love. This glorious earth is odious, full of filth and wickedness. The expanse of the ocean, the green trees, the fiery sunset - they only mask this hungry, merciless world. It laughs at our suffering. It grins as we weep. I hate it.

The red-haired man. He personifies that merciless god.

I hate him.

* * *

The red-haired man is wracked by painful coughing. The guttural noise snaps me out of my thoughts. I watch him as he presses his cheek against the stone and clutches his stomach. He doesn't see me. What is he distracted by? _Aren't you afraid?_

Has he still not acknowledged me? _Me?_ The one from whom you have thoughtlessly stolen everything from? _Me?_ Whom you've mercilessly killed over and over and over and over again… 16 times. 16 of us. The last of my beloved brothers. Their dying faces are burned into my mind.

I grit my teeth and choke back a sob. Oh, what I'd give to see them once last time. To embrace them and thank them and tell them how much I love them. Ah. I alone will retain their memory.

I'll never forget them.

...

… He'll never forget them either!

I won't let him disregard them! I won't let him disregard ' _me'_! I meant nothing to him. ' _I'_ was just fodder. A faceless grunt. A lab rat. Mere Clones. No. I don't care. They were more precious than anything. He will understand the pain he wrought upon us. He will know the loss I feel.

I look him over. He's coughing dark viscous blood. It stains the stone. He groans and seems to collapse inward upon himself.

… _I've never killed anyone before._

No.

It doesn't matter if I played the medic. Who cares if I'm known for setting bones and soothing wounds. There is nobody left for me to show kindness to, and nobody in this world deserves anything from me. There's no more goodness on the earth. There's no more 'me' left.

All that's left on this rotten planet are rotten people.

This man murdered ' _me'_.

I will kill him in cold blood.

* * *

The wind blew in from the over the sea. The sun shone from across the water. Seagulls cry above. Maybe they're smelling blood. Do the birds eat meat? 15 would probably know.

Hot blood runs down across my knuckles. I have my adversary by the throat. I feel his trachea straining against my palm as he gasps for air. I dig my nails into the back of his neck. He digs his nails into my arm. His teeth are bared and chattering. He hangs from his neck. He wheezes at me.

When I first found him, he looked like he just came back from the dead. Now I'll sending him to Hell again. He stood no chance against me. There was no strength in him. His movements were jerky and electric, they contained echoes of sharp, graceful strikes, but he couldn't sustain them. He could hardly stand, let alone fight.

His fingers leave shallow gouges in my skin. I can feel the sharp edge of an invisible ' _something'_ from beneath his fingers, pressing, then cutting into me. I tighten my grip. He gags and the cutting stops.

The breeze blows over us. The birds screech over our heads. The two of us are silent. I have nothing to say to him. He spends all his effort to breathe. The sun is low in the sky. Molten orange is turning to red. A fitting backdrop. My pulse pounds in my ears.

I can't see his eyes from behind that hateful red hair, but I know he's staring at me from within the deep shadows. What is he staring at? Is he surprised? Did he think he could kill us without any repercussions? We were closer than family. We lived and died for eachother's sakes. We guard our brothers fiercely. Their lives were precious.

 _How dare you kill them! How dare you give them meaningless deaths! You held their lives in low regard, so surely you can't complain when you die like this. Right?_

Right.

Maybe he knew it.

Because he didn't beg for his life. Perhaps he didn't dare to. He knew it was useless.

He kicked and screeched and bit and thrashed, but he never pleaded with me. Not once.

Not when I grabbed him by the head and smashed his temple against the stone. Not when I put him on his knees and wrenched his arm behind his back until something snapped. He howled like a demon. He screamed at me in anger, pain, indignation… he sounded like ' _me'_ during the Facility procedures. His voice was different, but the tone was the same. That keening note of desperation.

I'm all too familiar with the sound. The scientists had conjured the same noise from my throat countless times. My fellows have died with that self-same scream in their lungs.

But… Surely I'm not like the heartless scientists. Right? I'm merely… no. It's not my fault. He's guilty. _Guilty!_ He deserves this! I…

I didn't want to listen to it.

So I stopped him. I seized his neck and squeezed until the scream became a croak. He wasn't like us. He was no person. He was a merciless monster in this merciless world. A red-haired demon dressed like a man. How dare he imitate my beloved brothers?! Is he mocking them? How dare he stir their memory! I'll kill him!

 _I want to see them again._

I'll kill him!

* * *

" _Ya-ga-mi!"_

A familiar voice carries in the wind, but not in a language I understand. Something stirs in me, but I ignore it. I have more important things to take care of. The red-haired man is facedown at my feet, breathing the dust. I'm about to send him to the bottom of the sea. I'll avenge my brothers. I'm doing my best not to think about them. Will they be glad to know I'm avenging them? _Probably not._

" _Oy! Where'd you crawl off to, man? Hello!?"_

I grab him beneath the arms and drag him toward the edge of the cliff. He's barely conscious but manages to lift his head. I feel him stiffen as he looks down and sees the dizzying height of the cliff. Something in my chest wrenches.

 _"Come on man! I don't have time for games! get your fat ass out here!"_

He just looks at me, a solemn and measured stare. He doesn't say a word. He doesn't look angry. He doesn't look regretful either. He breathes heavily. Blood drips from his nose and down over his lips and chin. I'm beginning to feel sick. I'm shaking.

" _Holy Shit! Holy Shit! Yagami what the hell! You! Hey! Stop right there!"_

The voice grows closer. It's comfortingly familiar.

I turn my head.

And see the face of my beloved brother.

His face is filled with hate.

* * *

 _sht_


	5. Nobody Loves me like You do

_Kill my soul. Crush my spirit._

* * *

 _I'm dead._

A hollow husk of mourning. I labor under that unbearable yoke of sadness. Frenzied hate drives me onward with a steel whip. I trudge laboriously down the cracked path of bitter lifelessness. I age with every step. I feel it in my face. I feel it in my teeth. Fate's dirty laugh rings in my ears. It rings in the sound of my breath.

 _A dead man, walking._

The parasite named Regret sinks it's ice cold fangs deep into my heart. It nests there, eating at my soul. It freezes everything it touches. My brothers stare at me from the sea. Their eyes are flat and pupilless. All 99 of them are lined up beneath those dark waves, watching me. I alone bear their memory. As I carry them, their death clings to me like a stench.

The air is gloomy. The sun is blood-red. It dyes the cliffside in crimson and shadow.

My murderer struggles weakly in my grasp. Blood streams down from his temple and his nose. One arm lays broken and hangs uselessly. The other clings to me. He looks down into the sea. He's fallen silent. My chest aches… _But_ _I'm already dead. What does it matter if I'm a killer._

Nothing moves. Only the rumble of the dark waves. I see my brothers there. They look up at me. They're sad. So sad.

I'll send this man to comfort them.

I prepare to heave him over the edge.

...

I hear a shout.

The sound splits the deathly silence. It breaks over me and I can hear again. It's familiar. It echoes of something I've lost. Something precious.

I raise my eyes.

I see him.

I see his face.

And my heart cracks. I'm ashamed.

15 has never broken a promise. He said he'd be back. He said he'd never leave me. He told me I'd never be alone. They said they'd always be there for me. That's what they promised. That was the pact we shared.

I thought they left me. I thought they've gone to the bottom of the sea.

But here they stand before my eyes.

I stare at his approaching form.

 _No._

I've not been abandoned.

* * *

Oh, the moment I lay eyes on him, my heart leaps within me. Everything comes rushing back. My spirit breaks free and swells in my chest.

The earth seems to light up. Dread falls off my eyes like fish scales. Regret screeches in fear and flees. The creeping shadow of loneliness which doggedly haunted my steps dissipates in a moment. My doubts evaporate. My fear extinguishes. That crazed anger which stirred my brain and caused my eyes to bleed hot tears is quashed and vanquished. My burden falls off and crumbles to dust. Fate is silenced. It makes no sound.

My misery is eclipsed with … _unabashed joy._

Ah. I'm crying. I'm so happy.

It's embarrassing, really. But I can't help it. I'm going to get laughed at… but it's fine. I'd have given everything for this. _Everything just to see them again._

Am I dreaming? Am I seeing a sceptre?

No.

He's real!

… but who is he?! I don't recognize him. It's not 15. 15 died in my arms. Not 7, not 2, not 10, not…

Ah, It doesn't matter who he is. He's one of us. One of me.

He's running to me. He scrambles over the stones on the seaside path. Pebbles tumble down and click as the bounce down the rocky cliff. The sun casts him in dark orange, but I have no problem recognizing him. How could I forget my own face? The face of my beloved. My own mannerisms? He holds himself just like 15 did. My own footfalls? It's closer to 3's rhythm.

 _They're all in there._

The cool salty breeze gusts over me, but my sunburn keeps me warm. The leaves rustle from the jungle but I'm not afraid of the night. I hear the music of chittering insects, the sounds are foreign but what have I to fear? Because I hear the thuds of his footfalls. He calls to me.

I know that voice.

I don't know what he's saying, but I'm not concerned. He wears a hateful expression. I overlook it. He has a good reason. I know him well enough. I trust him like I trust myself. Never before has he failed me. He's utterly faithful. Absolutely benevolent.

I'm so glad he's alive.

 _He's alive!_

We're alive!

Oh sweet life! The stench of death is banished. I want to laugh. I want to cry. The air is fragrant and balmy in my lungs. Every breath is like honey. Every sight is glorious. Every sound is majestic. For my eyes behold the only goodness I've ever known. The only kindness I've ever needed.

He's come for me.

He kept his promise.

I'm not alone.

My heart swells within me.

Tears stream from my eyes.

I stand to greet my brother.

* * *

 _The only reason Yag's being strangled rn is Kyo went to go take a leak and Iori decided he wanted to go watch the water. Too bad he's actually half dead haha. In case you don't recall (Polish), Yag got killed by some electric nest dude. Then Kyo uses nest dude's electric attack to frankenstein bby back to life. That's why his chest is all fked up. They do a murdery and Kyo has to carry Yag out of an exploding base cuz He belongs in intensive care rn. (The manga has Kyo accusing Yag of being so heavy that he almost died carrying him lol. Look wat happens when you move to america.)_

 _Anyways he's not in any shape to be launched off a cliff. Not that he'd ever be._

Six needs hug. pls volunteer in comments.

He's too pure. (hella melodramatic tho. Did you know Kyo's a poet? Wiki it.)

It's 2:37. i sleep. 30% chance this entire chapter gets wiped and rewritten depending if me 6 hours from now thinks it's up to par.


	6. These Bones

6.

one short of perfection.

* * *

…

…

What's this?

What's happening?

I don't understand.

 _Surely…_

I lift my hand from the ground and wipe the blood from my face. I stare upward at the murky red sky. Wispy clouds streak over the dark horizon. Birds circle overhead. Their shadows flicker across the cliff face.

Sand and sharp pebbles scratch against my cheek and the tip of of my nose. I let my hand flop over my eyes. There's no pain. I know this should hurt - but I can't feel it. I can't feel a thing. Everything is numb.

My jaw is fractured, I know from the noise it made when he struck me. That impact cut my lip against my teeth. The tang of iron pools in the back of my throat. Three ribs on my left side are shattered. They crunch if I move. The collarbone on my right is snapped in two. My chest collapses inward and heaves weakly with the uneven rhythm of my breath.

These bones pulse within me. I try to keep them under my skin but they disobey. They ache where they've pierced my skin. They stick out like dark spines. I stare in disbelief at the bright blood which stains my hand. It's thin. Dilute. It runs down my fingers and beneath my nails.

 _There must be some mistake._

 _Yes. A mistake._

But.

This is my blood.

My blood. Shed by my brother's hand. Shed by my own hand. And shed violently.

One strike might be a mistake… but not this. _Not this._

Have I… turned on myself? Has my very flesh betrayed me? Impossible. Never has the thought crossed my mind. We don't betray each other. We don't hurt each other. We cannot! We will not! How could we! Not after all we've been through. For as long as I've lived, I've loved them. They…

 _They don't love me._

Ice grips my heart. It seizes me. It shakes me. My eyes grow sour and my skin crawls. My body sinks into the hole of my shadow. My hand shakes. I let it fall against my chest. It touches something hot and wet and viscous. There's a hitch in my breath. Something rattles deep within my throat.

 _Of course they don't. I don't deserve it._

* * *

Everything is black and red. The shadows grow long. They writhe like monsters. Undulating menacingly as the light of the red sun retreats beneath the sea. Their long fingers creep along the ground and reach for me. The wind blows. It stings as it whips my wounds. The darkness is cold against the wetness of my cheeks.

" _Wake up... Come on you bastard. Don't leave me!"_

I hear a voice murmuring in a language I don't recognize. I don't know what he says, but I know that voice. It's mine. It's 'me'. It's me when I held into 15's as he bled out in my arms. The noise 2 made when 7 died. The bitter sound of mourning. The familiar sound of desperation. The anger and sorrow that was reserved for those we loved.

I turn my head to look at them. I rest my cheek against the dust. Blood rapidly pools there.

" _... Yagami? Hey… please, man. You can't do this."_

He crouches a ways away. He kneels on the dusty path as the red haired man lays gasping in his arms. He cradles my murder against his chest. The man who stole everything from me. The man who took my goodness. The man who crushed my hope. Who killed all my brothers...

I look at them and my vision goes blurry.

Oh. My heart is breaking.

It's cracking. It weeps.

He's crushed me.

He's broken my spirit.

My beloved brother… no.

 _This man_ has slain me.

I have no brothers.

Because I'm all alone.

Laying on this cliff.

Bereft of everything.

* * *

I open my mouth to sob, but no noise comes out. My throat is crushed. The blood is thin. It runs in droplets down my neck. It's hot and sticky. Tears and blood run down my face. Tears which were shed in joy mingled with blood shed in betrayal.

How potent was that joy! A mere touch of it brought me to dizzying heights. How cruel. How cruel. That same man who brought me joy threw me down to the depths of Hell. I languish in the pit.

It's unbearable.

...

Oh.

I'm tired.

My spirit is wasted. My soul lies dead.

All my life I've watched my brothers live and die. We were thoughtlessly thrust into this uncaring world. We were thrown about, murdered, dissected, toyed with.

Then, when the world had its fill, we were finally cast aside like refuse.

I couldn't escape my fate.

I'll die the same way.

I'm dying.

I look back to the sky.

I feel my pulse slowing.

My breath becomes shallow.

My vision grows dim. The sky grows dark.

Are those…

yes. D _iamonds in the sky_.

 _Diamonds..._

* * *

 _fin._

 _My poor beautiful baby._


	7. Epilogue: The Chosen Ones

_Extra Long Epilogue._

 _Hope you liked this story. I don't really write tragedy often. I'm primarily a writer of stupid stuff. brainless fun. Also I'm not depressed. I promise._

 _Look. Yag's back and he's being stupid. Smile a bit okay?_

 _Closing notes at end._

* * *

Night falls.

The darkness breathes and the jungle chitters. Insects swarm in the balmy heat. Frogs croak. Crickets chirp. The waves rumble and lap against the sheer cliffside. The moon peeks through a veil of wispy clouds, casting pale blue light upon the Brazilian coastline.

The night is quiet and peaceful. The drone of the jungle is somehow soothing. I take a deep breath and adjust the load on my back before squinting into the night. It looks like the path peters off into the jungle. I frown.

 _Wait… this is the spot right…?_

I managed to squeeze his car's location out of Yagami before he went insane and started babbling nonsense. Looks like getting bashed over the head a few times knocked the sane part of him right out. He's been clinging to me like the world's most annoying backpack for nearly twenty minutes before he fell asleep and started drooling on my shoulder.

Honestly everything's so surreal. Why the hell is Yagami here? I thought he wanted me dead. This guy is _literally_ the last person I expected to come try and rescue me. I mean, if he got roped in as a part of some operation I'd understand, but he's running a one-man show. Did Dad hire him? Or maybe Benny? Can you even hire him? I don't know. I tried to ask him but he's hardly understandable. I think he might be speaking another language or something.

...the guy even managed to die. What the hell is wrong with him. You don't die trying to save your enemy. I mean, shit. Most of my scars are from him! He's probably fucked me up more than the NESTS bastards. Dammit. I thought I had this guy figured out, but I guess he's crazier than I'd anticipated.

Not that I don't appreciate it… but damn. This is so weird.

So weird, in fact, that I'm expecting to wake up, strapped to my table with fluorescent light shining on my face and a shit ton of needles sticking out of my arm. Then I'll spend the next few hours wondering why the hell I dreamed about Yagami for. _Gross._

I'm suddenly keenly aware of how sticky my shirt is. The bugs are really intolerable. They keep flying around and smacking me in the face. I can't shoo them away 'cause Iori's riding piggyback and I don't want to drop him. Bastard is so freaking heavy.

 _Must be the American diet. Fatass._

He snorts and clicks his teeth like he heard my thoughts. I glance over to see if he's woken up. Nope. Unconscious. Out like a light.

I just wish his salivary glands would turn off as well, 'cause shit man. I'm glad you're alive and all, but I don't wanna know you this well.

* * *

Something strange came over me when I saw ' _myself'_ about to throw Iori off a cliff.

I mean, nobody would be shocked if I actually did. We try to kill each other all the time.

Well… if I'm honest, I don't really intend to kill him. My goal is just to get him shipped to the hospital for a few months at a time. And I guess Yagami hasn't been honest either. If he really wanted me dead, there's no way he'd be here. Beaten halfway to death on my behalf.

I'm honestly surprised that he's alone.

If he knew I was here, why didn't he tell Dad? Or Benny? Or Chiz? They'd definitely help. I know it. Yagami's stupid, but he's not dumb enough to take on a NESTS base on his own. Why the hell is he here by himself? Maybe they're on route or something? I know they wouldn't abandon me.

Ah… I can ask him once he wakes up. Right now I'm too hungry to think straight.

I feel like I haven't eaten in forever. I'm so hungry even the tree bark is starting to look appetizing. Maybe I'll roast a frog or something. Wait, everything's poisonous in the jungle… better not risk it.

Whatever. The sooner I find the car, the sooner I'll drive us out of here and get _something_ to eat.

 _Where the hell did this bastard park?!_

There's no vehicle in sight. I frown and scan the undergrowth carefully. I'm really reluctant to wake him up. He'll definitely start bitching. He might still be insane too. I should just put him down and- _whoops_.

He slips off my shoulder and hits the ground.

He lands on his arm.

The broken one.

A howl splits the night.

* * *

"Oh god dammit Kusanagi! Don't you know how to drive?!"

Honestly, I don't. I'm a motorbike guy. I've seen people drive on TV though. It's not _that_ different. I think I'm doing ok… there are a lot of lights on the dashboard. Is that bad?

"The tree! Kyo! Turn the fucking wheel!"

My favorite stalker's in the backseat looking incredibly stressed out. After I dropped him he woke up and hadn't stopped screaming since. I swear this man has a built in megaphone. My vocal chords would've rebelled against such abuse long ago. For some reason my ears aren't hurting from the noise. Maybe the NESTS people did something.

"Of course I can drive! I'm actually a great driver. Your car is just weird, ok? And it's your fault for parking off-road anyways. Just calm down. Go to sleep or something."

He grumbles and clicks his seatbelt in. I usually don't tolerate being yelled at. Normally I'd be much nastier - he _is_ my rival after all. But I haven't woken up yet… and that means Iori Yagami actually decided to rescue me. I'm not sure how to feel about this, but I feel like I should try and treat him nicer.

Until he tries to kill me again, at least.

"What do you mean, _my fault._ You always need to hide your car around these fucking bases. They get super suspicious if they see a random Jeep parked on the road. The moment you break in, they've got like thirty guns pointed at you, ready to swiss-cheese your ass."

I'm not really paying attention to what he's saying. I'm trying to drive up from the jungle, onto the raised road. The dirt is loose and the wheels aren't getting enough traction. Iori's trying to make himself a sling out of his shirt. He's doing an awful job. Well, at least he's alive. I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself if he died trying to save me.

"Swiss? Swiss cheese? Like the sandwich?"

He squints at me from the rear-view mirror. He'd look more intimidating if he wasn't such a mess. It's weird seeing him this badly injured. Usually his 'instinct' takes good care of him. It's also weird hearing him say anything other then ' _Prepare to die, Kusanagi'_. Guess he's loopy from… I dunno. Dying.

"No. Swiss cheese like my ass."

There's a grinding noise and we make it up onto the paved road. Now which way to the nearest restaurant? I'd die for something to eat… huh... I don't have any money. I wonder if Yagami will treat me. Fuck I'm starving.

"You got shot?"

"Not this time. Why do you care?"

"I don't...This time? What does that mean?"

"It means I didn't get shot this time."

He deadpans at me from the rearview mirror like he can't believe how stupid I am. I swear it takes a special kind of autism to be so dumb that you think you're smart. But actually I don't care I just wanna stick around and catch dinner, but I'm too embarrassed to ask for food outright.

"How many times did you uh… break into NESTS bases?"

"This was the ninth. I was down here for three months. One base per week. Do you know where you're going?"

 _One per week? Three months… wait. How long have I been at NESTS? I swear it was only… uh… my memory is full of holes._

"I've been at that fucking base for three months? Are you serious?"

He yawns.

"Nah, you were there for six. It's almost Christmas and your girlfriend misses you. She's the only person who believed me when I said you were locked up down here. Everyone else thought I was crazy. Take the next right."

They didn't believe him, that's why he's alone. Well, I wouldn't believe him either. He's clinically insane. But if someone told me _my son_ was trapped somewhere, and I saw the person flying down to… wherever this is… then I'd at least come along. Wait Iori's some big shot music guy right? He took three months off the job? Dad's fucking retired!

"I mean, if your girlfriend could fight, I'd bring her- Take the right! Hey!"

I snap out of my thoughts to spin the wheel. The tires screech. We round the corner messily. My passenger stares accusingly at me from the mirror. His body language says ' _I think you drive like shit'._

After a moment he seems to forget about my driving and continues talking. I feel like he's mostly talking to himself at this point, but it's been… six months since I've heard my native tongue. It's nice.

"But it's better that I didn't bring anyone. I wouldn't be able to work with your people. They'd be bugging me nonstop. They might even try to fight me. Bunch of moralistic jerks."

"Fight you? Why's that?"

"..."

There's a long pause. I check the mirror to see him staring at me. His face is grim and his eyes smolder in his head. There's still some blood smeared on his face. It's an expression I've never seen him wear. I frown.

The engine drones. The wind rushes past.

Then he breaks the silence.

His voice is low.

"They'll fight me because they're moralistic."

"What?"

"NESTS isn't like the tournaments. These people aren't sportsmen. They're soldiers. They kill people every day. Life is cheap down here. I have eight bullet wounds. Without my instinct, I'd be dead a hundred times over. Your friends probably couldn't handle it."

"Ey. They're strong, man. They can defend themselves. I mean Benny controls _lightning_. You can't say you didn't want his help."

"Yeah, but he's a pussy. How many people do you think died today at that base?"

 _Oh._

"This was a big one. It was during operation hours too. I'm thinking upwards of four hundred. The smaller ones have maybe a hundred-"

"Stop."

He stares at me then shakes his head. He's decided I was going to listen.

"400 people. Only one person walked away. You. The rest either drowned and burned. It's like a fucking war zone. Every single time. A bloodbath. It's like hell."

"Shut up, Yagami!"

He hisses fiercely at me.

"I've probably killed two thousand people in this past three months. And I've probably killed a hundred clones of ' _you'_. It's like a bad joke, heh. A hundred of ' _you'_ died because of me. And then I die for ' _you'_. Tacky? No. Worse. A fucking soap opera! -And whoever wrote it is a cruel, mischievous fucker."

I'm not hungry anymore. My stomach turns. Iori's going insane behind me. He kicks my seat. I can see the whites of his eyes as he giggles at the ceiling. He howls.

"Count your blessings! Fate's been kind to you, hasn't it? Isn't it great? You're valuable! you're worth the lives of two thousand people! Great, right? Right? Dammit! Fuck!"

He cackles and presses his face against the glass. He pounds the window with the heel of his palm as if it's the funniest thing in the world. He doesn't seem angry. Not regretful either. He isn't accusing me. He's just laughing at fate. His words stir in my head like a terrible concoction.

"You know, that clone guy didn't attack you. Not at all. He didn't lift a finger against you! He just stood there while you fucking caved his chest in! He cried while you crushed his throat and tossed him onto the rocks! Why do you think so, huh? Surely you noticed! You killed someone who refused to fight you! He's dead! You beat him to death! Was he innocent? Guilty? Tell me. I don't know. I killed a hundred."

I grit my teeth.

Iori continues on. He's beginning to tire.

"They were all like that. Some bases had more. Some less. If I killed one of them, the rest come at me like mad dogs. Sometimes on my way out I'd see one of them clinging to the bodies of their clone buddies and crying. Those guys - without exception. They... they-"

He's voice peters and as he runs out of steam. He rests his head against the passenger window and I hear him sigh. His voice is just a whisper. I strained my ears to catch his words.

I wish I hadn't.

"Those fuckers are only a couple of months old. They're literally kids. Babies."

 _God. Fuck._

He chuckles bitterly, then coughs and falls silent. I squeeze the steering wheel and stare out the windshield.

We sit in silence for a long time.

There are lights in the city ahead. They shine fourth like beacons. Ten minutes ago I'd rush to them. But now... I feel dirty.

I can't seem to forget that feeling on my knuckles. The feeling of that clone's throat collapsing beneath my fist. _God. Why?_

Iori's hunched over behind me. He's propped his arm against the windowsill and buried his face in his elbow. He's awake. I can tell by his breathing.

Two thousand people.

Their blood is on his head.

For my sake.

...

Lucky? _no._

I open my mouth to speak.

Then close it again.

There's nothing to say.

This world is cruel.

We drive in silence.

* * *

 _Notes:_

 _* So this story is titled because It considers fate. Heaven is where the God is benevolent. Hell is where God is against you. Fate is the 'god' of the world. It chooses favorites and killed hundreds for their sakes. For the 'chosen ones' who reap the benefits of circumstance - they live in 'heaven' so long as they turn their heads from those who are scorned for their sakes._

 _* In KOF Canon it's clear to see who's chosen and who's cast aside. Obv most of the roster but i decided to focus on Team Murder (Kyo+Yag). Those who are cast aside are the clones. Even people in the fandom don't think highly of them. I mean, we don't even consider them people. They're just punching bags, right? In the manga they existed so Iori could roast them. They'd see the world they lived in as Hellish._

 _* Worse, they're innocent - like babies. And not only that, but they're lab rats. What other purpose could they serve in there? My purpose was to bring them to light. I read about them and was like yeah, these guys are the most tragic in the entire game. Even worse than that guy who's arm is his girlfriend._

 _* Kyo and Iori are faced with this in a very direct way. They get to live as 'main characters' in the story. But plot armour cannot protect you from feels. Someone earlier mentioned how it was crazy that just Kyo and Iori could tear apart a NESTS base (MM) with like a thousand soldiers. This is why they don't do this often. Iori gets crazier after this. He just sorta devolves into what he is in MOS. He copes with PTSD by going insane. Probably feeds Riot or something._

 _* The fact that Team Murder go after another NESTS cartel in Mastermind, probably killing more Kyo clones while they do so- attests to how much they care about Chizuru. There's a reason Chiz always needs to lie to Iori if he's fighting a NESTS cartel with Heidern (last chapter of Good Morning). Iori hates violence. He only fights anyone for a narrow set of people. So far in my continuity it's been: Landlady Shates (Mastermind1), Kyo(this), Chiz(Mastermind, Good Morning), Himself(vs Terry b/c arm(CashCow). vs zombies(MOS). prob some more I can't remember rn._ _)._

 _* This story actually creates a discrepency with, like, ch 5 of March of Skeletons. (written like 4 months ago lol. I didn't even know what NESTS was back then) Kyo freaks out when Yag hits the lady with his car. I mean, I guess it's okay since Iori never killed anyone right in front of Kyo, but he's all like "Holy shit he's a serial killer." And Yag pretty much admits to it here. Several years before the events of MOS._

 _* For the sake of this story, 'Fate' is technically me. haha. (I got cussed out by Yag). I wrote this soap opera._

 _Goodnight._


End file.
